Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Guardian music

BB King hospitalised for dehydration

Musician BB King was hospitalised in Las Vegas for a diabetes related illness.
Musician BB King was hospitalised in Las Vegas for a diabetes related illness. Photograph: Peter Van Breukelen

BB King has been hospitalised for dehydration. The 89-year-old’s daughter, Claudette, told the LA Times that her father’s symptoms were caused by his type 2 diabetes but was currently “doing much better”.

The blues legend has had type 2 diabetes for more than two decades. In October 2014, King cancelled the remaining eight performances of a tour, owing to dehydration and exhaustion.

“[King] was immediately evaluated by a doctor and diagnosed with dehydration and suffering from exhaustion whereby causing the eight remaining shows of his current tour to be cancelled,” a statement on his site read at the time.

One of the greatest guitar players of all time, the King of the Blues was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Despite his ill health, he is still incredibly focused on live performances, cutting back from 300 shows to 100 shows a year.

The Mississippi musician began his career in the 1940s and has released more than 50 albums.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.